The Elder Scrolls: Escape from the Imperial Prison
by TheGoldman
Summary: An Imperial in the Imperial Prison? I guess they don't play favourites, huh? Philippe Marc had a lucky break when the Emperor of Tamriel needed to use a secret escape route that led through his cell. Based on the opening mission from Oblivion. DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Elder Scrolls franchise.


"Where the hell am I?" I muttered as I regained consciousness. I looked around and saw skeletons, to my horror. I had no memory of what had happened to me, and all I could remember was a name. Philippe Marc. I looked up, through bars, to see that I was in a cell. Opposite me I could see a Dark Elf leering at me. He grinned when he saw me wake, and started insulting me. Both my hands were chained together, but my legs were free so I could walk around.

"Oh, look, an Imperial in the Imperial Prison. I guess they don't play favourites, huh? Your own kinsmen think you're a piece of human trash. How sad. I bet the guards give you "special" treatment before the end." He snarled, with a malicious grin on his face. "Oh, that's right. You're going to die in here, Imperial! You're going to die! Imperial criminal scum like you give the Empire a bad name, you see. You're an embarrassment. Best if you just... disappeared."

"What ... what are you on about?" I muttered, but he didn't hear me. We both listened as the door to the row of cells clanged open.

"Hey, do you hear that. The guards are coming ... for you!" He laughed maniacally, throwing his head back. I picked up a small rock and hurled it at him. He retreated to the bed in his cell. I strained to hear what was going on in the corridor. A woman was giving orders to several soldiers. They entered the corridor, and I got a glimpse of the visitors. The first figure was a man in heavy armour, with a katana on his belt. The next figure was female, in the same armour as the man, with the same weapon. The last figure to enter was an old man in robes. He had long grey hair, and looked like he had been tortured in the past. He was talking worriedly with the woman.

"My sons ... They're dead, aren't they?" the old man asked, fear clear in his voice.

The woman responded quickly, "We don't know that, Sire. The messenger only said they were attacked." She obviously thought that they were, for her shoulders were slumped and her voice sounded sadder. She was obviously worried about the old man's sons as well.

"No."The old man muttered, regret deep in his voice. "They're dead. I know it."

The woman changed the subject quickly, saying "My job right now is to get you to safety." She then stopped in front of my cell, looked inside and frowned. "What's this prisoner doing here, Glenroy? This cell is supposed to be off limits."

Glenroy, the guard who hadn't spoken so far, began to make excuses. "Usual mix-up with the Watch, Captain. I ..."

The Captain cut him short. "Never mind, Glenroy. Get that gate open." She then addressed me. "You! Prisoner! Stand aside. Over by the window. If you stay out of our way, we won't have to hurt you."

I did as she ordered, standing at the back of the cell. Glenroy marched into my cell and ordered me to stay still. The Captain entered next. A third guard, wearing the same armour but carrying a shield, ran into the cell and told the Captain that there was no sign of pursuit. The old man entered last. As he walked in, he stopped and stared at me.

"You..." he muttered. He then raised his voice. "I've seen you..." He stepped closer to me. "Let me see your face. You are the one from my dreams... Then the stars are right, and this is the day. Gods give me strength."

Now I was even more confused. "What's going on?" I asked.

"Assassins attacked my sons, and I'm next. My Blades" at this he gestured to his guards, "are leading me out of the city along a secret escape route. By chance, the entrance is in your cell."

"Who are you?" I asked. I ran my fingers through my hair, visibly puzzled why he was telling me this.

"I am your Emperor, Uriel Septim. By the grace of the Gods, I serve Tamriel as her ruler. You are a citizen of Tamriel, and you too shall serve her, in your own way."

"What am I doing here, in jail? I don't remember anything before I woke up here." I asked, clearly worried about my lack of memory.

Uriel had a sad smile on his face. "Perhaps the Gods have placed you here so that we can meet. As for what you have done ... that doesn't matter. It is not what you will be remembered for. I can't help you with your memory, either. You will have to find that out for yourself."

I nodded in understanding. "What should I do?"

"You will have to find your own path, my friend. Travel with me for a while, until we have to separate. Take care, for there will be death before the end." Uriel gestured at the Captain, who pushed at a brick on the wall. At this, the wall crumbled and faded away. "Thank you, Captain Renault. Leave the shortcut open, there is no way to close it from the other side." Captain Renault and Glenroy walked through the hole in the wall, followed by the Emperor. The last guard stood, waiting for me to go after them. I flicked my middle finger up at the Dark Elf, who had been watching the whole exchange with a mixture of jealousy and hatred on his face. I then walked through, with the shield-armed guard following me.

The tunnel was dark and dank, and I was immediately assailed by the smell. It was similar to that of a thousand rotting corpses. I could tell that this was a disused passage, as there was fungus and lichen all over the walls. The walls were crumbling slightly, and there were giant cobwebs in the corners. As I entered the room, I saw a spider scuttle away from me. I reached for a torch mounted on the wall, hands still bound together. As I grasped it, it crumbled in my hands. The wood smelt rotten, and the rank smell stuck around me. I staggered on, struggling to see in the faded darkness. The guard behind me pushed me onwards, as the Emperor and the other two guards marched ahead. The Emperor held a burning brand in his hand, and he drew his short sword in his other hand. I stumbled to the floor, and the guard behind me grabbed the back of my shirt with one hand, pulling me back up, muttering a complaint behind me. I staggered on, hands still bound by the short length of chain. Before long, we found ourselves in a large cavern, clearly Imperial craftsmanship.

The guard behind me muttered to me. "Look well, convict. These tunnels are part of the sewers, so I wouldn't be surprised to see a rat like you run off." I turned and swore at him, and he struck me with the butt of his katana. As I stumbled to the floor, the Emperor turned.

"Baurus, try and act civil. Philippe is as much a free man as you or me. Treat him as such, if you will." After this scolding, Baurus tried to ignore me, which I actually preferred. We walked onwards, the Captain and Glenroy ahead of me and the Emperor, with Baurus bringing up the rear. It continued in this way until I heard a clanging ahead. I assumed it was nothing, but I saw the three Blades all draw their weapons and move forward. I stepped out of Baurus' way, and he spoke to me once more. "Guard the Emperor with your life, don't leave his side."

I nodded, and he ran forward alongside Captain Renault and Glenroy. As they ran to the end of the narrow corridor, a masked man leapt from a side passage and stabbed the Captain in the side. She fell to the ground instantly, and Glenroy roared in rage. He sliced the man's head off, but three more assassins appeared and attacked him before he could do much more. I watched as Glenroy and Baurus struggled to hold the assassins off, then saw another slip past them, heading for me and the Emperor. I pushed the older man back and ran at the assassin, screaming a war cry as I did so. I slammed into him and pushed him to the ground, before using the chain around my wrists to strangle the man. He convulsed and kicked, gasping for air, but I gave him none. After what felt like hours, he stopped straining and went still. I had killed a man to defend the Emperor. I pushed the man off of me, and looked around. Baurus was knelt by Captain Renault's body, while Glenroy was walking back towards us.

As Glenroy got close, he called out. "Sir, it's clear. As far as I can tell, there are no more assassins directly ahead."

The Emperor struggled back to his feet; I had pushed him to the ground by accident. "And Captain Renault?"

Glenroy was clearly upset. "I'm sorry sir. She ... she didn't make it." I could tell that Glenroy was close to Renault, and her death had hit him hard. Glenroy then turned and started walking on, scouting. He signalled for the rest of us to wait for him to return.

Baurus walked over to me, where I stood, staring at the body of the man I had killed. "Nice work, prisoner. Here, the Captain had the keys to your cuffs." I immediately freed myself, massaging my arms to restore circulation to my hands. "Take the Captain's sword. It is considered a great dishonour amongst the Blades to leave a sword behind, and after seeing you defend the Emperor so, you deserve a weapon to fight with." I walked over to her corpse and picked up the katana that had fallen from her grasp, as well as the sheath that was hooked on her belt. I took a belt for myself from one of the dead assassins, as well as a pair of their leather boots so I was no longer barefoot. As soon as I pulled on the boots, I looked up to see the Blades walking away, and ran to keep up with them.

Not long after, the Emperor and I were walking side-by-side, with Glenroy ahead and Baurus behind us. We were discussing the stars, and which constellations were shining over the world on the day of my birth. From what I could remember, it was the sign of the Warrior. We walked fast, still trying to get away from the area where we battled the assassins, heading through the catacombs and tunnels to get out from underneath the Imperial City. However, some sections were crumbling and unsafe to travel, as I was about to find out.

I had slowed slightly, and was now bringing up the rear of the group. I stepped on a particularly worn section of stone, and was shocked to find it slip away beneath my feet, as well as all of the tiles below me. I cried out loudly as I fell through the floor and hit the ground hard, in a tunnel below the Blades and the Emperor. Uriel stopped and looked over the edge, and shouted down. "Are you alright, Philippe, my friend?"

I looked up and shouted back to him. "I'm fine. You go on, I'll find a way out of here." As he tried to protest, I cut him off. "You're more important than I am. You need to get out of here, regardless of anything else." The Emperor started to walk away, as did Glenroy. Baurus stopped and dropped a wooden brand and tinderbox down to me, nodding in respect. I murmured my thanks, but he had already moved on.

I crawled over to the brand Baurus had dropped for me, coughing as the dust and dirt of this disused catacomb got in my eyes and lungs. I picked it up, and struggled to light it. When I did, I swung it in front of me to clear the dust away. As I did so, a giant rat leapt at me. Without time to draw my sword, I instinctively swung the torch into the rat's face, knocking it flying. I kept the torch in one hand, and drew the katana with the other, as three more rats raced towards me. A few swift slices later, and all three dropped to the ground, severed in half. I wiped the blood from the blade onto the fur of one of the rats, but kept it drawn and ready. I held the torch aloft as I carried on, looking for a way upwards so I could rejoin the others.

While searching for stairs or some other way up, I stumbled over a chest. Literally. As I fell, both sword and torch slipped from my grasp and rolled away from me. I scrambled forwards on my hands and knees, and grabbed hold of the torch. I then pulled myself to my feet, and grasped the hilt of the katana once more, sheathing the blade as I opened the chest that had tripped me. Inside was a dirtied and battered, but still serviceable, shirt of chainmail armour, as well as a single leather gauntlet, a slightly rusted short sword and a worn wooden shield. I donned the chainmail shirt, and put the gauntlet on my left hand. I slung the shield over one shoulder, and carried on, torch held high in my right hand.

I eventually found my way up to a large open room, with a locked gate next to it. I looked around for a key, and spotted a hooded figure lurking in the shadows. One of the assassins after the Emperor! Fortunately, he hadn't seen me yet, so I was able to sneak up behind him and stab him in the back with the katana, having ditched the burning brand. As the man crumpled to the floor, I dragged his body into a small alcove, and took the dagger the man had been brandishing, tucking it through one of the loops of my belt. I then readied the shield on my right hand and checked the area, sword drawn, before finding myself a good spot to wait by the door. I decided that if the Emperor and his men didn't reach here soon, I would head out and hunt for them. I knew they would be coming this way, because I had already killed one of the assassins after them at this location.

To pass the time, I picked up a small chunk of wood and began to whittle away at it with the dagger I had taken from the fallen assassin. I carved it with much detail, and was feeling proud of it, when I heard the pounding of several pairs of boots running this way. I dropped the carving and drew my katana, and grabbed my shield from where I had put it down, tucking the dagger back into my belt. I took up a defensive position as the first man ran into the room, and sighed slightly with relief. It was Glenroy! Behind him, the Emperor and Baurus raced into the room, and all three were surprised to find the door was locked. Glenroy ran back a short distance, and the Emperor held his position, while Baurus began to look at the lock, to see if he could force it open.

At this moment, I felt I needed to announce myself. "Yep, that door's locked. Tried it myself." Baurus whipped his sword from his blade and already was pointing it in my direction before he looked closely at who I was. The Emperor chuckled at Baurus' reaction.

"You made it then. I doubted you would. Stay here, and guard the Emperor. I need to go help Glenroy hold back the assassins." With that, Baurus ran from the room, heading back down the corridor after his fellow Blade. I turned to see the Emperor approaching me, his hands outstretched.

"Take this for me." I opened my hands, and he dropped a necklace with an enormous ruby into them. Before I could speak, he continued. "Find Jauffre, and give him the Amulet of Kings. Only he can help you find my lost heir. This is the only way to stop the Prince of Destruction. Find him, and close shut the jaws of Oblivion!" With this cry, the Emperor pushed me to the floor.

As I hit the floor, I saw the Emperor fall to the floor, an arrow embedded in his eye. I drew my katana in one hand, holding the Amulet of Kings in the other, and sliced at the assassin who slew the Emperor. My blade hacked through his bow, and I stabbed him through the chest. I left the katana sticking out of him, and ran to the Emperor's body, even though I could see it was too late. A tear rolled down my cheek as I knelt by his body.

I turned, grabbing my dagger, but it was just Baurus. When he saw me kneeling by the Emperor's body, he swore loudly. "No. I've ... I've failed. It can't be." Baurus knelt by my side, then noticed something. "The Amulet. Where's the Amulet of Kings?" He began looking on the floor, before spotting it in my hand.

"The Emperor gave it to me, before the assassin came. He told me to seek a man named Jauffre." I offered it to Baurus, but he shook his head. "Take it, Baurus. As one of the Emperor's Blades, you should deliver it. I don't even know what to do."

Baurus stood, and only then did I notice his wounds. His shield was cloven in two, and he had a deep cut across his sword arm. "No, I must remain and guard the Emperor's body. More Blades will come when we don't reach the safe house, and they will find me here. It's probably best if a convict isn't with me when they get here."

"I see." I still didn't want to go on alone, but I had to carry on. A good man gave me a job to do, and I wouldn't want to disappoint him. "So, who is Jauffre? How can I find him? And what is so special about this Amulet?"

Baurus paced nervously. "Jauffre is the Grandmaster of the Order of Blades, though you wouldn't know it to look at him. He serves as a simple priest in the chapelhouse of Weynon Priory, near Chorrol. As to the significance of the Amulet, I don't know. Honestly, I was the junior Blade on this mission. Many of the secrets of our order are kept from new recruits."

I clasped his arm in a warrior's handshake. "Thank you for your help, my friend. May the Nine protect you."

Baurus kicked down the door blocking my way, before giving me a salute. "May the blessings of Akatosh be with you. Go straight through the rest of the tunnel, and you should come to a sewage pipe. Go left from there, and a hundred paces along you should come to a side gate. Use this key" and at this point Baurus threw me a small iron key and a pouch of gold septims, "and you can get to the surface. From there, you can run up to the stables and buy a horse. It's a two-day ride to Chorrol, so you may want to head to the Market District and pick up supplies."

I gave Baurus no further farewell, and prepared to walk to my freedom. I pulled Captain Renault's old katana from the assassin's corpse, and wiped the blade clean on a rag. I then sheathed the katana, before heading down the tunnel to my freedom. The Emperor may be dead, but he left me a job. To find his heir, and help him to stop this Prince of Destruction mentioned by the Emperor.


End file.
